Many commercial companies which issue invoices for payment by customers have attempted to provide convenient means for mailing invoices to customers and simultaneously providing a return envelope which the customer may use for mailing back payment. One way of accomplishing this goal is using a "two-way envelope," which includes a pocket and sealable flap for sending first contents to the customer, and means for refolding and sealing the envelope a second time when the customer desires to return payment to the company. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,152,751 (Hiersteiner) discloses a combined two-way envelope and enclosure provided with a top flap 13 divided into two narrow flaps by a transverse fold line 16 and a perforation line 17 thereon. When the envelope is mailed to the customer, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, flap 13 is folded along lines 16 and sealed using gum 19. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the customer may remove flap portion 15 by tearing along perforation 17, folding flap 14 along line 11 and sealing flap 14 using gummed area 18. Hiersteiner discloses provision of a window in the lower left portion of the front panel, through which the address of the customer or the company may be displayed. However, as fully discussed below, the window provided by Hiersteiner is incompatible with modern automated postal sorting equipment.
Other examples of two-way envelopes having windows incompatible with today's automated postal sorting equipment include U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,938 (Krantz), 4,072,264 (Krantz), and 4,180,168 (Hiersteiner).
A two-way envelope having a business reply panel is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,317 (Krantz). In FIG. 1, the '317 patent to Krantz shows an envelope window 9 defined by rectangular space 8 through which an address 68 and bar code 69 may be viewed. The bar code 69 of the '317 patent is an obsolete form of postal bar code marking formerly utilized by the U.S. Postal Service. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the Krantz '317 patent discloses use of a large folding panel provided with a return address and business reply mail markings which the customer may fold down onto the front of the envelope to facilitate return to the company.
The foregoing prior art envelopes include a common deficiency: incompatibility with modern postal automated sorting equipment. The automated sorting equipment presently used by the United States Postal Service requires bar code markings in two specific portions of an envelope. First, a Facing Identification Mark (FIM) must be placed on the right top edge portion of the front envelope panel adjacent, to the postage stamp or meter marking. The FIM mark is scanned by automated Postal Service equipment to determine what class and type of mail is represented by the envelope.
Second, a bar code marking representing the zip code of the addressee must be placed along the bottom edge of the right side of the front envelope face. Typically, this bar code marking is spaced above the bottom envelope edge by a gap of approximately one-eighth of an inch (1/8"), and the bar code marking is generally approximately three (3) inches in length.
These marking requirements must be strictly followed, or the mail will be rejected by the Postal Service, requiring hand sorting. Such rejection and hand sorting increases the amount of postage due the Postal Service by the mailing company. The only way for mass-mailers to control postage costs is to obtain the reduced postage rates and sorting advantages provided by adherence to Postal Service bar code placement regulations.
A similar problem arises if a Facing Identification Mark intended to designate the return trip is visible during the initial trip and is detected by a Postal Service optical code reader. The Facing Identification Marks must be visible on the front of the envelope only for the appropriate trip. If not, the inappropriate marks may be detected by optical character readers or bar code readers, and the mail may be lost, delayed, or returned to its origination point.
Finally, prior art envelopes are deficient because the standard, currently-used postal bar code must be printed on the outer paper surface of the envelope. This increases the cost to the mass-mailer of the mailing process since the envelopes must be separately printed with the correct bar code. Further, since the zip code bar code of each customer or addressee is different, to permit two-way use of prior art envelopes, such envelopes would have to be pre-printed with a zip code correct for each particular customer. The cost of such a process is prohibitive. Thus, commercial mass-mailers and others would find useful an envelope having a window in the bar code position specified by the Postal Service, thereby permitting printing the bar code zip code on a sheet or invoice to be inserted in the return envelope and to be visible through the window.
Before the present invention, no prior art envelope had avoided all the foregoing deficiencies.
Therefore, the prior art appears deficient in not providing a two-way reusable envelope having two gummed portions on a top flap, and a covered window disposed to permit a bar code printed on an enclosed sheet to be visible. Therefore, mass-mailing commercial customers, and others, would find useful a two-way window envelope having a foldable flap with two-gummed portions and a covered window adapted to permit a standard postal bar code to be visible on an enclosed sheet.